hooperhome

We are getting very muddled and confused...what is the best order to organise things when arriving in Aus?

We need to have a couple of weeks break when we first arrive, then to find temporary accomodation for how long, dont know ! We need to organise the children with schools so we obviously need to be settled in the area that we intend to live.

I think what is bothering me is we don't want the children to be out of school longer than necessary, but we don't know where we are going to end up. To those of you already over there, how did you manage, did you find that you rented long term first but then found that you did it in haste and need to move areas and schools?

I have read previously about catchment areas for schools being quite strict, so feel we need to know where we are going to be asap.

Any comments welcome
Theresa

Pootle

Hi Theresa,
We moved to Melbourne in Jan 05 so was during the school summer break. I had a 6 year old to enrol in school and like you, didn't know where we were going to live! We had not been to Melbourne and had no idea really of areas, just needed somewhere near a train line so hubby could commute to cbd. Initially we had a furnished appartment in the city for a few weeks so we could look around. We then bought a car before starting to look around different areas and viewing rental properties.
Hubby started work the next week so I was left with 2 small children and a melways to work out my way around and try and view a few properties! Yes I did get lost a few times....Also all the schools were closed for the holidays so could only view from the outside and judge if it looked nice or not! It was very difficult to view rental properties - a lot of them have set viewing times so you have to be there between 12-12.30 for example. A lot of the houses were not very nice and we were running out of time abit as I wanted to enrol my little one to school. Basically the first nice house I saw we took. Train takes 25 mins to CBD, can walk to school in 10mins, school actually is very nice.
It was a worry as you say, if when we decide to buy and move areas then will have to move schools. Hopefully will stay around this area, its very nice, but you can't arrive and in 3 weeks decide where you're going to settle permanently. Where are you headed? Good luck! It will all work out so don't worry too much!
Pootle

hooperhome

Hello Pootle

Thanks for the reply, it really is a bit of a rush isn't it? At this end we think once we have got visas it will be okay, once we have sold business it will be okay, once we have sold house it will be okay, once we have booked flights that will be it !!!

But really it is only the start isn't it? If everything goes to plan we hope to leave UK very end of November. We are heading for Perth. I think school returns on 1st Feb for new year so we would have 2 months to rent a short term house, and in that 2 months we would have our family holiday (couple of weeks) then get stuck into having a good look around at different areas, schools, job opportunities.

If needs be we could leave the house here either to rent out or be sold by a member of the family. It really depends mostly on selling the business. Fingers crossed, we just don't know if it will!

If anybody else has any experiences that they would like to share I would be very grateful. What was the hardest thing to sort out, what was easier than imagined?

Thanks
Theresa

YFitz

I think the time of year you have chosen to come out is best for the children as they can start school at the beginning of a new school year when there are lots of changes in school anyway and they don't stick out as the "new kid". We came out to Perth in early January this year and like you we didn't know where the good areas/good schools were. We rented a fully furnished house for the first 3 weeks and also a small car for the first week. We found that as everybody was really friendly anyway it was easy to pick peoples brains about different areas. Talk to as many people as possible- estate/rental agents, people in shops, car salesmen- anybody really, and you will be able to build up a bank of information. We found one of the best sources of info was a receptionist in an estate agents in Joondalup. She was about 18, obviously knew the area very well and was a minefield of info regarding where the oz-chavs live/schools with good reputations/up and coming areas etc etc. After we heard about the same school by about 4 different people we decided to limited our search for a 6 month rental to that particular suburb- we then took on a rental property then went into the school on the last week of the school holidays and arranged enrolment. (You will need proof of address eg your lease and the kids red health book) Once that's done you can sit down, open a bottle of red wine and congratulate yourself on choosing a fab place to live!
Good luck, let me know if i can help with anything else.
Yvonne x

lynnj

Theresa

Have a look at www.movetoperth.com there is a lot of information there which should help you and if you need more help it tells you there how to get it. If its any help, we arrived in November and kept the kids out of school until feb, they had a ball, we all had some great family bondong time and hopefully made up for the time we had all been working like mad things to get here. My advice would be, rent furnished for 3-4 weeks so you dont have to rush to find a rental or purchase a house, you also dont have to slum it as your furnitire should have arrived by then, dont put any more pressure on yourself than you have to.

Good Luck

hooperhome

Hi Yvonne

Hope you don't mind me asking but where did you end up living, for what reasons did you decide on that area and how have you found it ?

Theresa

hooperhome

Hi Lynnj

Thanks for reply, yes I think end of November is a good time for us because like you said some bonding time for the family, it ties in with school holidays
and also I wanted to adjust to the summer gradually and not come smack bang in the middle of January. Could be a shock to the system.

We are happy to rent for a brief period but would like to buy a property asap. We actually fancy the hills, the beach is not a priority with us. But we need to get there before we can decide whereabouts in the hills.

I need a crystal ball !!!

Theresa

lynnj

There will be detailed suburb profiles of many of the hills suburbs coming online on http://www.movetoperth.com/info/subu...b_browser.html hopefully by the end of the week, if you need more of a feel for them then there are dvd's too, if you want to buy straight off then http://www.movetoperth.com/relocatio...rtyfinder.html could save you some precious time!

Hope this info helps you out.

YFitz

will send u a PM later today
yvonne x

hooperhome

Hello Yvonne

Thanks for PM, very informative. I will hang on to this for future reference.

Theresa

renth

Sadly, unless you are sending them to an expensive private school (where they will accommodate your child in an older year) your kids ae going to be going back at least one maybe 2 years academically.

The act of moving to Australia is more educational for them than the time they would otherwise be spending in the clasroom.

hooperhome

I understand this, I started school in England, moved to South Africa, moved back to England and back to South Africa again, and then back to UK so I have been through the year behind, year in front business. But children adapt well and as you said the act of moving is part of their education.

Theresa